- Katie Ormerod fractured her heel in training ahead of Winter Olympic Games
- The snowboarder will miss the event in Pyeongchang as she requires surgery
- Ormerod has previously fractured her wrist in training but wanted to compete
British medal hope Katie Ormerod is out of the Winter Olympics after fracturing her heel in training.
The 20-year-old snowboarder, who became the first Briton to win World Cup gold in the slopestyle last year, fractured her wrist on Wednesday but was desperate to compete in the Games and returned to training 24 hours later.
However, the British Olympic Association said she will have ‘emergency surgery’ on Friday after injuring her heel on Thursday.
Snowboarder Katie Ormerod suffers Olympic heartbreak as fractured heel rules her out
Dan Hunt, performance director for British Ski and Snowboard, said: ‘We are desperately disappointed. Katie was in strong form. Her determined nature will see her come back from this.’
In Ormerod’s absence, British hopes fall even more heavily on defending skeleton champion Lizzy Yarnold. Team GB’s flagbearer aims to be the first Brit to successfully defend a Winter gold, but said she will give Russian rivals the cold shoulder if their bans are overturned.
The disgraced nation are bidding to force another 47 athletes and staff into the Games against the wishes of the International Olympic Committee. The Court of Arbitration for Sport will make their 11th-hour judgement this morning after a series of legal challenges.
The snowboarder took to Instagram to show off her scan which shows the double break
If those athletes are controversially allowed to join 168 other Russians in Pyeongchang, Elena Nikitina, the 2014 bronze winner, and Maria Orlova would be added to the skeleton field hours before the opening ceremony.
Nikitina and Orlova were implicated in allegations of state-sponsored doping in Russia and Yarnold says she would blank them if they make it to the start line.
She said: ‘I enjoyed having conversations with Elena and Maria but now whenever I see them I will look at the floor and carry on.
‘It is difficult if the Russians will be here competing.’
The 20-year-old Brighouse rider will miss the event in Pyeongchang as she requires surgery
Ormerod has previously fractured her wrist in training this week but still wanted to compete
British Ski and Snowboard performance director Dan Hunt said everyone was devastated